Latest news with #ProteasTest
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Mulder praises the perseverance of Yusuf after Proteas debutant takes three wickets
It took one of his schoolmates to hit him out of the nets at training for Codi Yusuf to switch from bowling spin, to bowling fast. 'I went to fetch the ball, ran in and I hit the guy and told everyone I'm not going to bowl another spin ball from this day onwards,' Yusuf said before making his Proteas Test debut against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. On Sunday, on a pitch offering some assistance to the seamers, but one when batters, once set, thrive, the 27 year old claimed 3/42, helping to bowl out Zimbabwe for 251, to give the Proteas a 167-run first innings lead. It wasn't just the wickets, however. Yusuf bowled with nagging accuracy, extracting bounce from one portion of the pitch that even had Sean Williams, who made 137, jumping around. 'I've played with Codi at the Lions, he's been an inspiration for us,' said Wiaan Mulder, who handed Yusuf his Test cap at a ceremony before the match. 'He bowls like that every single week. He's exceptional, he's got the biggest heart, he never gives up. What you saw today is just a glimpse of what we see at the Lions.' Yusuf is not the quickest bowler on the domestic circuit. But in the last three seasons he's made incremental improvements that has seen him become one of the most reliable bowlers in provincial cricket. He tends to skid the ball off the surface and his bouncer can be tricky to read, although he doesn't use it often. What he has done is simplify his game, targeting the stumps and if there is any assistance out of the surface — like with that patch on a back of a full length in Bulawayo — he is able to exploit it. 'I'm happy for him because he's one of those guys, the way he approaches the game is not through shouting or abusing people, or too much aggression and all that kind of fluff, he does it week in and week out, all heart and gives it everything he has,' said Mulder. Yusuf grew up west of Johannesburg, but had to wait his turn as the Lions sifted through a variety of quicks, before he got his chance. 'I play the game hard, with my heart and with the goal in mind of playing for the Proteas, my performances were never based on playing for the Proteas, but I felt that if I give my best things would happen naturally,' he said. Yusuf is the ultimate team player, whose versatility in the last couple of seasons has proven to be a weapon for the Lions. He's equally capable of bowling a seven over spell to 'dry up' en end as he is a short burst attacking the batter. For someone who doesn't engage in sledging it was strange when he did just that in an intriguing mini battle with Lhuan-dre Pretorius in last season's Four-Day final between the Lions and the Titans at the Wanderers. Pretorius ultimately emerged victorious making a hundred that secured a draw, but was respectful of a bowler, with whom he shared a dressing room during the SA20 for Paarl Royals. 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫-𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐥 👏👏 Wiaan Mulder was a man on a mission on day two in Bulawayo 🇿🇦🔥 #ZIMvSA #SSCricket — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 30, 2025 Both are making their debuts in Bulawayo and have had an impact on a match that the Proteas were dominating at the end of day two. Pretorius's 153 in the first innings, changed the course of the opening day, while Yusuf's three wickets helped to strengthen their advantage on the second day. Perhaps Yusuf's recent stint at Durham, helped him to find his rhythm quicker than his fellow new ball bowler Kwena Maphaka. The 19 year old left-arm quick, struggled in the first innings, offering the Zimbabweans too many freebies, conceding 52 runs in 12 overs. But Maphaka's threat was illustrated by two nasty bouncers, which clattered into the heads of Brian Bennett — ending his participation in the match because of concussion — and Williams, who was clearly shaken up for a few moments. 'He's learning, quite quickly,' said Mulder. 'The challenge for Kwena, is how he takes the balls in between the good ones and to keep going with a couple of dots, or just concede a run. International cricket is difficult and if you're not able to land it in an area that hits the top of the stumps, especially when the ball is not moving, guys are going to keep scoring.' 'He's still wet behind the ears. When you face him in the nets, the balls are super fast, always moving, he hit two guys in the something special about him,' said Mulder.
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Dewald Brevis makes emotional return to international cricket: ‘It's special'
'I had my smile on because I feel that is important and that's how I want to play cricket – smile and enjoy it.' Dewald Brevis says it was 'very special' to receive his Proteas Test cap after being left out of the international setup for a couple of years. Picture: Isuru Sameera/Gallo Images Dewald Brevis described his return to international cricket as an emotional experience, made even more special by the fact that it comes in the 'pinnacle format' of the game. He is set to bat at number six for the Proteas in their opening Test against Zimbabwe on Saturday. The 22-year-old batting all-rounder burst onto the scene in 2022 when he broke the record for the most runs scored at an U19 Cricket World Cup, and was named player of the tournament. In the same year, he smashed an incredible 162 off 57 balls for the Titans against the Knights, which was the fastest T20 150 in history after he reached the mark off just 52 balls. With a flamboyant and aggressive batting style, he was nicknamed 'Baby AB' after the Proteas legend AB de Villiers. However, he failed to shine in the IPL and in the senior team in the following years and was dropped from the Proteas after only two T20s, the last played in September 2023. Brevis makes an emphatic return The youngster has since made a return in domestic cricket, finishing sixth in this year's SA20 batting rankings, scoring 291 runs at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 184. He was also exceptional in the field, overall helping MI Cape Town clinch a first SA20 title and being named the competition's rising star in the process. In the longer format, he was the second-leading run-scorer in the 4-day series, with 573 runs in 12 innings, including two hundreds and two fifties, averaging 47.75. '[Proteas captain Keshav Maharaj] knows my journey over the last few years. The words he had when he gave my cap, there was a bit of emotion going on inside me,' Brevis admitted. 'But I had my smile on because I feel that is important and that's how I want to play cricket – smile and enjoy it. 'He just mentioned [that] he knew my last few years, especially when I got my debut in T20 cricket, that moment being there and then left out for a few years. That was quite tough, but I was young as well. 'I am quite grateful for how I handled that and the people I had around me. Because it made me much more hungry for the game and to perform.' He said he had worked on what he needed to, to now reach an international level. Brevis said he had spent much time looking at his Test cap, appreciating what it meant. 'For me it's the pinnacle format. You can play all the leagues, you can play T20, 50-over cricket, but there is something about Test cricket. And to be able to do that for South Africa, to represent South Africa out there, it's special.'
Hindustan Times
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Dale Steyn can't hold back tears, picks his SA cap, then goes quiet after South Africa win WTC: 'Life will go on but…'
It's not easy to describe how much the World Test Championship win would have meant for South Africa, in particular the generations of all-time-great cricketers who had come through the ranks and gone through such long spells of disappointment and heartbreak. To watch Kyle Verreynne crash a shot through covers and confirm that the ICC Test Mace would be going back home to the Rainbow Nation was to ease the pain of decades of hurt, achieving a dream held and not realised by so many. One such man was Dale Steyn, a legendary fast bowler and one of the best of all time, who never quite got close to lifting an ICC trophy. Steyn, on media duties for Star Sports, was overcome by pure emotion in the wake of those winning runs, rendered nearly speechless by what it meant to watch his country finally get over that hurdle. In a video shared by the Star Sports social media handles, Steyn can be seen struggling to form words and fight back tears, before falling silent for an extended period as the realisation of the moment truly dawned on him. 'What do you do, what do you say? It's incredible, I'm sitting at home, I've got my cap here, I'm extremely proud. I mean, what do you do? I'll take my son for a walk and life will carry on,' said the fast bowler, lifting up his Proteas Test cap, before falling silent and welling up with emotion following the moment. It is evident how poignant a moment this is considered in South African cricket history. Steyn wasn't the only South African to feel the brunt of the moment, with Keshav Maharaj also fighting through tears of his own to speak to former captain Graeme Smith about how much it means to the country to get over the line after years of heartbreak, and repeatedly falling short of the ultimate glory. Also Read: Keshav Maharaj sobs uncontrollably; Temba Bavuma covers his face to hide tears At the end, it was Aiden Markram the hero with one of South Africa's most famous Test centuries, assisted by Kagiso Rabada's 9-fer, a man who is considered to be Dale Steyn's successor in South Africa's long list of fast bowling greats.
Times of Oman
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
"We didn't perform well, and it is disappointing for us": Mohammad Rizwan
Rawalpindi: Pakistan skipper Mohammad Rizwan expressed "disappointment" after being eliminated from the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is taking place in Pakistan and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With their final group stage fixture against Bangladesh ending in a washout, Pakistan finished the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at the bottom of Group A. Having already been knocked out of the race to the semi-finals following successive losses to New Zealand and India, the Mohammad Rizwan-led side finished their tournament with a sole point, seated at the bottom of Group A. Opening up on their campaign, the Men in Green skipper admitted that the team's balance was disturbed in the absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman owing to injuries. "We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high. We didn't perform well, and it is disappointing for us," Rizwan said as quoted by ICC. "The guy who has been performing for the last few months in Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe... the team was combined and then suddenly when someone is injured, the team will be disturbed," he added about Saim Ayub's injury. "As a captain, you can look forward to that as well. One side you can say that the team is disturbed, but this is no excuse. Yes, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were injured, but we will learn from this," Rizwan explained Ayub, who starred in Pakistan's ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa last year, was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining an ankle injury during the Proteas Test series. Zaman, on the other hand, was part of Pakistan's squad at the start of the tournament but was ruled out after picking an oblique muscle strain in the opener against New Zealand. Asked if he was content with the bench strength for Pakistan, Rizwan pressed on the need for further improvements, touching upon the domestic circuit. "We want improvements in different things. If we want to improve, and for Pakistan to have a high standard, we need awareness and professionalism. We see that in the Champions Cup, but we need more improvement," the 32-year-old noted. Pakistan will next tour New Zealand for a five-match T20I and three-ODI series, starting March 16. Moving forward to what's next in store for them, Rizwan conceded the focus was at coming back strong against the Black Caps. "We have made mistakes in the last few games. Hopefully, we can learn from these. We are next going to New Zealand and hopefully we can perform there and the mistakes that we made against New Zealand here in Pakistan, we can learn from that. And we will do better in New Zealand," the wicketkeeper-batter concluded.
Int'l Cricket Council
27-02-2025
- Sport
- Int'l Cricket Council
Rizwan pinpoints injuries to star batters as Pakistan close ‘disappointing' Champions Trophy campaign
Pakistan's ICC Champions Trophy title defence as hosts came to a disappointing close on Thursday as their final group stage fixture was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rains in Rawalpindi. Having already been knocked out of the race to the semi-finals following successive losses at the hands of New Zealand and India, the Mohammad Rizwan-led side finished their tournament with a sole point, seated at the bottom of Group A. Opening up on their campaign, Pakistan skipper admitted that the team's balance was disturbed in the absence of Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman owing to injuries. "We wanted to do well and perform well in front of our nation. The expectations are very high. We didn't perform well and it is disappointing for us," Rizwan said. 'The guy who has been performing for the last few months in Australia, South Africa, Zimbabwe… the team was combined and then suddenly when someone is injured, the team will be disturbed,' he added in reference to Saim Ayub's injury. 'As a captain, you can look forward to that as well. One side you can say that the team is disturbed, but this is no excuse. Yes, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were injured, but we will learn from this." Ayub, who starred in Pakistan's ODI series wins in Australia and South Africa last year, was ruled out of the tournament after sustaining an ankle injury during the Proteas Test series. Zaman on the other hand, was part of Pakistan's squad starting out the tournament, but was ruled out after picking an oblique muscle strain in the opener against New Zealand. WATCH: Kohli classic helps India best Pakistan | Match Highlights | Champions Trophy 2025 Kohli classic as India blow Pakistan | Match Highlights | Champions Trophy 2025 Asked if he was content with the bench strength on offer for Pakistan, Rizwan pressed on need for further improvements, touching upon the domestic circuit. "We want improvements in different things. If we want to improve, and for Pakistan to have a high standard, we need awareness, professionalism. We see that in the Champions Cup, but we need more improvement." Pakistan will next tour New Zealand for a five-match T20I and three-ODI series, starting March 16. Moving forward to what's next in store for them, Rizwan conceded the focus was at coming back strong against the Black Caps. "We have made mistakes in the last few games. Hopefully, we can learn from these. "We are next going to New Zealand and hopefully we can perform there and the mistakes that we did against New Zealand here in Pakistan, we can learn from that. And we will do better in New Zealand." ICC Champions Trophy, 2025 News Pakistan Mohammad Rizwan 06/01/1992
